The Nigerian government has pleaded with organized labour to shelve its planned indefinite strike action scheduled for Monday, June 3, 2024, over the lingering impasse on the implementation of a new minimum wage.

The labour unions made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other affiliated unions had on Friday, given the Monday deadline to embark on an indefinite strike to protest against government’s refusal to raise the proposed minimum wage from N60,000.

President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, who announced the decision of the unions after its National Executive Council (NEC), said the indefinite strike would begin by midnight on Monday.

In a statement jointly signed by Ajaero and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, described government’s stance on the minimum wage as a matter of grave concern and disappointment, adding that the federal government’s failure to conclude and pass into law a new National Minimum Wage Act, and reverse the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kWh, was a major setback.

Ajaero noted that a deadlocked meeting held between the government and Labour during the week further “demonstrated the lack of seriousness and apparent contempt with which the Nigerian state held the demands of Nigerian workers and people.”

“No governor was present and ministers were absent, except the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who doubles as a conciliator,” Ajaero stated.

“There was none present on the side of the government with appropriate authority to commit them to any outcome. In essence, the government abandoned the meeting.

“We consider this disdainful and shows a lack of commitment to a successful National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise.

“During the last May Day celebration, Organised Labour issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the conclusion of the minimum wage negotiation exercise by the end of the month.

“However, there has been no significant progress or commitment from the government towards meeting this demand.

“We also demanded a reversal of the last hike in electricity tariff from N225/kWh back to N65/kWh, and stoppage of the apartheid categorisation of consumers into bands.

“We carried out a nationwide one-day protest on May 13, 2024, giving the government until the last day of this month to take action; but the government has not entirely shown any positive response, despite the national outrage at the insensitive hike.

“Nigerian workers, who are the backbone of our nation’s economy, deserve fair and decent wages that reflect the current economic realities,” Ajaero said.

But in a press statement issued late Friday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, called on the labour leaders to reconsider and shelve the strike action in the interest of the nation.

Mohammed who described the NLC and TUC as “partners in Project Nigeria”, noted that industrial action was not the solution to the ongoing negotiation for a new minimum wage for workers.

“The government is pleading with Labour to reconsider its position. The FG has already made an offer of N60,000, and whatever the government does is in the interest of Nigerians,” the minister pleaded.

“We won’t like to do something that will throw the country into another problem.

“Even as we do that, we are pleading with Labour. They are partners in this project called ‘Nigeria’ and we expect them to join hands with the FG as it strives to look for solutions that will take Nigeria to the desired prosperity.

“Our message is that of an appeal and the need for Labour to see reason with the government. That was even the basis for setting up the tripartite committee that was made up of Organised Labour, the sub-nationals and the FG.

“This was because the government just didn’t want to make unilateral decisions. In any case, the position on the wage regime is not a one-sided thing.

“We expect that they will see reason with the government. That is why we are calling on them to show understanding by not embarking on the strike because we don’t want that at this point.

“A strike is not the solution to our problem. We are continuing our negotiation with them. The minister and other stakeholders are still talking to them and we believe that we will find a common ground,” he stated.